Posted on 06/12/2015 8:43:37 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
Key lawmakers have moved to slash funding of a secret CIA operation to train and arm rebels in Syria, a move that U.S. officials said reflects rising skepticism of the effectiveness of the agency program and the Obama administrations strategy in the Middle East.
The House Intelligence Committee recently voted unanimously to cut as much as 20 percent of the classified funds flowing into a CIA program that U.S. officials said has become one the agencys largest covert operations, with a budget approaching $1 billion a year.
There is a great deal of concern on a very bipartisan basis with our strategy in Syria, said Rep. Adam B. Schiff (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the intelligence panel. He declined to comment on specific provisions of the committees bill but cited growing pessimism that the United States will be in a position to help shape the aftermath of Syrias civil war. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
How about just cutting our losses and stop spending any money on Syria?
Our president it willing to spend billions on a global warming theory and yet deny our intelligent agencies money to keep us safe!!! A$$hole.
Did you read the article? The president wants to spend this money, it’s congressmen who want to cut it!
Guess it’s not so secret now... ($1 billion? )
Ha, ha, yeah, that’s a good description!
“cited growing pessimism that the United States will be in a position to help shape the aftermath of Syrias civil war.”
Yes, because that went so swimmingly in Somalia, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Ukraine, etc,,,
These people behind the policies are clearly insane.
Washington Post. THE Washington Post. The one of CIA operation mockingbird fame.
LOL
Yeah, hard call, heck, Assad is helping ISIS, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/02/syria-isis-advance-on-aleppo-aided-by-assad-regime-air-strikes-us-says
Then in Ukraine, they have to worry about some nut in Moscow that talks about using nukes over Crimea, a little piece of land. http://time.com/3745522/vladimir-putin-russia-nukes-crimea-ukraine/ How could anyone follow such.
The world is in worse shape now. As is the country.
There are no solutions, what can be hoped for is for Assad to step down, bring in a new government, let a Pan-Arabic force mop up.
Sure, more airstrikes on ISIS. Especially since the Russian sponsored Assad, bombs the Rebels, some who are bad guys as well.
CIA: “Are you a moderate Muslim?”
Muslim Fighter: “Oh yes.”
CIA: “Great. Well here’s some money and tanks and stinger missiles.”
Muslim Fighter: “Thank you. They will be used only for good purposes.”
He’s having a pretty bad week.
Does this secret funding include a bunch of Toyota pickup trucks?
You have to follow this thru time.
Since 2011, the neocon republicans and liberal interventionist democrats had wanted to arm and train the Syrian rebels, but the realists(R&D) plus Obama opposed.
Then in late 2012, the realists began to shift positions so in spring 2013, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted(15-3) to arm the rebels and train them on the weapons.
So CIA worked up a plan, Congress approved it, and they began. Its not known exactly when they began but by early 2014 it was well underway and the media was reporting on it.
The rebels were saying the weapons were good and the training was good but all they were getting was anti-tank weapons and the needed anti-aircraft weapons to be used against Assad's jets and helicopters dropping barrel bombs. Plus the rebels said the pace of arming and training was too slow.
So members of congress(led by neocon McCain) began agitating to appropriate more money and give them anti-aircraft weapons. But they all stopped talking about anti-aircraft weapons after the airliner got shot down in Ukraine.
But eventually, Congress did appropriate more money and extended the duty to the military.
You may also recall that in 2014 the issue of the US bombing Assad's forces came up because of Assad using chemical weapons. Obama said he wanted to bomb but wouldn't do it unless congress approved it, which they didn't.
There’s nothing secret about this CIA/SOF/contractor operation.
The “secret” Jordanian base the CIA/SOF/Contractor teams trained ISIS at is in Jordan. This was OSINT in 2012.
The name of the base and its US commander is easily obtained.
The openly stated goal of the US still is asassination of Assad and overthrow of Syria.
May not be that effective.
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